Feeling sad or depressed? Having a bad day? Angry? Anxious? We all have been wounded and hurt in this fallen world. Thankfully, we have Jesus to calm us! This article will bring out great reminders from the book, Litanies of the Heart: Relieving Post-Traumatic Stress and Calming Anxiety Through Healing Our Parts published by Sophia Institute Press and written by Gerry Ken Crete.
1. Jesus loves us!
We look to the parable of the Prodigal Son where the Father represents God. If you feel exiled from God, remember that in this story, “the father runs to greet his lost son with joy, and he relieves him of his burden of shame and guilt.”
2. Jesus seeks us!
Here, we look to the parable of the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd, who represents Jesus, seeks out the lost sheep. This is a risky move because the Good Shepherd left the rest of the flock. “The point is not that the Shepherd doesn’t care for the other sheep; it is that He loves the lost in a way that defies all logic and convention. His love breaks through all our shame, insecurities, and self-doubt.”
3. Jesus protects us!
Sacred Scripture says that God “will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one” (2 Thess. 3:3). God also provides a “shield of faith” and a “helmet of protection” (Eph. 6:16-17).
4. Jesus is our friend!
Some of us can feel lonely even if we have many friends. Jesus, himself, tells us this when he says, “I do not call you servants any longer, because the servant does not know what the master is doing; but I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything that I have heard from my father.”‘
5. Jesus heals us!
For this we know Jesus physically healed people in miracles. He also heals us in the forgiveness of sins. He calmed the storm and can calm the storms in our lives. He also calms our worries and fears as seen in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. Here Jesus said, “That is why I am telling you not to worry…look to the birds in the sky. They do not sow or reap or gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they are?”
6. Jesus shows us the path!
Life can get dark where we get lost. Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12.
7. Jesus knows us by name!
Strangers may say, “hey you.” You may go to a university where you feel like just a number. But Jesus knows your name specifically. Jesus, the Good Shepherd “calls his own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3).
8. Jesus builds bridges!
Jesus gets us to God the Father. He said, “I am the way, and the truth, and life. No one comes to the father except through me” (John 14:6). Jesus did this in the most sacrificial way possible. Jesus “gave himself a ransom for all” (1 Tim. 2:4-6).
9. Jesus nurtures us!
Jesus said, “let anyone who is thirsty come to me” (John 7:37). This isn’t a physical thirst. Mother Teresa had the motto of “I thirst” in the homes of her Missionaries of Charity. We thirst for the love of Jesus. “I thirst” are the words of Jesus on the cross as he thirsts for our love. He will nurture our thirst with his love and grace.
We also see this nurture and care in the parable of the good Samaritan. The good Samaritan is often used for Catholics to care for others. But the early Church Fathers saw Jesus as the good Samaritan in this parable. “A man who has been robbed and beaten lies on the road…a Samaritan bandaged his wounds…brought him to an inn, and took care of him” (Luke 10: 34).
Want to go deeper into these 9 points?
To learn how to apply these points more specifically into your life, I recommend the book, Litanies of the Heart: Relieving Post-Traumatic Stress and Calming Anxiety Through Healing Our Parts published by Sophia Institute Press and written by Gerry Ken Crete.